Tip: Try this exercise to visualize your network
In our networking workshops, most attendees haven’t really thought about who is in their network. And they usually vastly underestimate the number of people they are connected to. So, we get them to map their networks.
It may seem overwhelming at first, but by breaking it into bite-sized categories it’s more manageable. For example, who are the key people you know in each of the following areas? Write their names down:
- Work — your team, senior executives, people in other departments with whom you interact, suppliers, customers
- Community, Sports, Hobbies — people with whom you volunteer, do sports with, meet-up groups, church and other faith-based organizations
- Online and virtual connections — X, Facebook, Instagram
- LinkedIn — pick those who you feel you have a relationship with, even virtually
- Previous work experience — former work colleagues, previous customers or suppliers
- Family and friends — they have networks too!
- Educational — friends from school, alumni association, teachers, professors
- Professional — industry associations, boards of trades
We do this as a little map (categories and names in each category). It’s not perfect, but it gives us a nice snapshot. And it’s a jumping off point to improve one's network. Are there gaps? Do we have people in every category? Is it diverse, not all people just like us? Who have we lost touch with? What relationships need strengthening?
Then update it every once and awhile.